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LIVERPOOL 3 Aston Villa 1 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Michael Owen (3)Half Time - 3-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Wed 6 September 2000 Star Man – Michael Owen Michael Owen is back. There have been definite signs of late of his return to peak form, but his hat-trick against Villa confirmed that he is now finally back to being the 'old' Michael Owen. The one that defenders all over the world are shit-scared of facing. We haven't seen him for nearly two years, as his hamstring problems reduced him to about 50% of what he is capable of. His finishing was largely unaffected (although he missed some chances last season that he would previously have buried with his eyes shut), but it was obvious that the searing pace wasn't there, nor was the self belief that helps set him apart from the rest. At times, he looked like a little kid playing against men, but not any more. Mickey himself has said that the Southampton game was the turning point for him, and it's not hard to see why. All through last season his body language just wasn't right. His shoulders slumped and the head seemed to be down all the time, as he was clearly not happy with himself. Since that game at the Dell though, he's had a spring in his step again, and Villa won't be the only team to be on the receiving end of an Owen inspired caning this season. To be fair to Villa though, they were more than a match for us, and it was only the cutting edge provided by our front two that separated the sides (that, and the clown between the sticks for them). Our overall performance was far from impressive, and the second half was simply awful. I've mentioned before that I don't agree with GH's policy of sitting back protecting a lead, but it is something that I think we're going to have to get used to. It doesn't take a fly on the dressing room wall to know what Houllier told the players at half time, as their total lack of ambition in the second half gave it away. Did we cross the halfway line in the second half? If we did then I must have blinked and missed it. Sitting back and hoofing the ball out of defence to no-one is not how we have been brought up watching football at Anfield, and it's not something we want to see either. When you're three up before half time, you should go on to score five or six. That's what the old Liverpool would have done, and as much as I hate to say it, that's what the mancs do now. Attack is the best form of defence, always has been, always will be. If we've got the ball they can't score. Simply camping out in our own half and allowing the opposition to come at us is inviting trouble, and it was only as matter of time before Villa pulled one back. Thankfully, it came too late, because if they'd grabbed one fifteen minutes earlier then things could have gotten very interesting. Obviously Gerard Houllier is no fool, and if we can see that this tactic doesn't work I'm sure he can. So why do we do it all the time? I think the biggest problem is that the players can't break quickly and hit teams on the counter attack. Allowing teams to come onto you can be a good ploy if you break quickly when you get the ball, but our counter attacking stinks. We either hoof the ball upfield to no-one in particular, or it takes us so long to get the ball forward that the opposition are all back behind the ball before we're even in their half. As Villa pushed forward, there were gaps that could (and should) have been exploited. As usual, they weren't. Either our counter attacking must improve or we should stop trying to simply defend leads, and go out and increase them instead. Well, that's my rant over for now, so now I'll try and concentrate on the positives. Obviously Owen was superb and rightly claimed all the post match headlines, but for me Heskey was just as good. The run to set up the opening goal was breathtaking. That's the Emile we want to see. I also thought Hamann had a fine game, albeit in a strange left sided role for most of the game. GH's team selection of Gerrard, Hamann and Carra all in the same side was also rather negative, particularly at home. We got away with it due to the brilliance of the front two, but it's not something I'd like to see him persist with. I also thought Djimi did well, and recovered in style from what happened at the Dell. He had a fine game and made some good forward surges. The quality when he gets in forward positions isn't there yet, but it'll hopefully come given time. The other big plus was the form of Sander. He too bounced back well from the Dell debacle, and this game will have done his confidence the world of good. Some have been writing him off due his recent off colour displays, but he'll come good again. TEAM: Westerveld; Babbel, Hyypia, Henchoz, Traore; Smicer (Barmby), Gerrard, Carragher, Hamann; Heskey (Meijer), Owen:

LIVERPOOL U16 2 Stoke City U16 2 Report by Dave Usher at the Academy Scorer(s) - Jonathon Pringle (2)Half Time - 0-0 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 12 Feb 2005 Star Man - Jimmy Ryan It's been a season of mixed fortunes for the reds' Academy. Steve Heighway and his staff rightly received a lot of plaudits for how well so many of their graduates have performed at first team level, but the flak has been flying of late due to the shocking form of the u18 side. John Owens' side are rooted to the bottom of the table, and went out of the youth cup at the second hurdle, albeit in very unfortunate circumstances. "What's gone wrong at the Academy" is the question posed on various internet forums after every defeat suffered by the u18s. The change to the league format certainly hasn't helped the reds. In the past, there were two teams on which the Academy's progress would be judged. Now, because the u16 league is classed as 'non competitive' and the results aren't published, the Academy is being judged almost solely on the progress of the u18 side. Because the 18s are struggling, it's assumed that the Academy as a whole isn't functioning. It's not as simple as that though. I'm not suggesting that everything in Kirkby is perfect, but it's certainly not all doom and gloom just because the u18 side is struggling. If the u16 results were being reported, I'm sure people would have a different perspective as to how the Academy is performing. This season Dave Shannon's side have lost just two games, and have been sweeping all before them. They are the best in the country in their age group, and yhey're known at the Academy as the 'Dream Team.' They have always been Steve Heighway's favourite group and the one of which the most is expected of. I'd heard quite a bit about them this season, but had never been able to get to see them as they usually play at the same time as the u18s. I felt I had to give the u18 side priority because that was the 'official' game and the one which people would most want to read about. Today though, myself and Liverweb's Andy Phillip decided we'd watch the 16s to see if they're as good as everyone says..... A few of the starting line up were familiar to me as they'd played for the under 17 side last season or the u18s this year. Dave Roberts was the goalkeeper in the two youth cup games this year, although he's since shaved his head and I didn't recognise him. Centre backs Jay Spearing and Robbie Threlfall also featured in the youth cup, and Threlfall has played on numerous occasions for John Owens' u18 side this season. Midfielders Jimmy Ryan and Charlie Barnett were regulars for the u17 side last season, and both made substitute appearances in this years youth cup. So I knew those players, but the rest of the side were completely unknown to me. Left back Stephen Behan has made a couple of substitute appearances for the u18 side, and striker Jonathon Pringle is another who's name you may have seen from u18 duty. At right back was Stephen Darby (could be spelt Derby, I don't know as there are no team sheets printed for these games), and I think the wide midfielders names were Cox and Woodward. Up front with Pringle, was the tall rangy Craig Linfield. Cox was forced off after just 15 minutes with what looked a shoulder injury, replaced by a lad who's name I believe was Mattone (again, I have no idea on the spelling). The game was played in blustery, rainy conditions at the Academy. It was freezing cold, so much so that I couldn't even feel my fingers to take notes on the game (I copied Andy's notes afterwards!). The conditions certainly had an adverse affect on the reds, who despite being much the better side throughout, never really hit top form. Shannon was without several key players. England schoolboy internationals Ray Putterill and Michael Burns were both injured, and two other regulars (Mitchell Bailey and a centre back who's name I've forgotten) were recently released from the club. Skipper Spearing has been playing at right back for most of the season, but switched to the centre for this game. He and Threlfall were excellent, and it's difficult to believe the reds didn't win this game. Barnett almost opened the scoring with a terrific individual effort on 21 minutes, when he collected the ball in midfield, jinked and shimmied his way past three defenders before hitting a left foot shot against the foot of the post. Ryan and Barnett controlled the game from the middle of the park, with Ryan looking a class above everyone else. His range of passing, composure in possession and strength on the ball really set him apart. He's quite a stocky lad, with a low centre of gravity which makes him very difficult to shake off the ball. Stoke couldn't get near for most of the match. The only slight criticism I have of Jimmy is that he occasionally overdid it looking for the spectacular long pass. He is capable of playing those passes, it's just about learning when to do it. That's something he'll no doubt learn as he gets older though (Steven Gerrard still does that now and it hasn't held him back!). The Academy seems to be able to churn out class central midfielders at will. Since I started watching games there three or four years ago, Welsh, Potter and Mannix have all progressed to Melwood. Next season they'll be joined by Danny Guthrie, and Ryan and Barnett look like they won't be too far behind. The strikers impressed me too though. They linked up well with eachother, and both held the ball up well and brought others into play. Pringle gave the reds the lead ten minutes after the break with a fine diving header following a right wing cross from someone (believe it or not I didn't see who put the cross in as I was being told off by some big fat Stoke fan who informed me I wasn't allowed to take photographs unless I had permission from all the parents from both sides!). Linfield then struck the post with an excellent lob after being played in by Ryan, and the reds number nine's strong running led to Pringle's second 17 minutes into the half. Latching onto a bad backpass, Linfield got there before the keeper and knocked it past him, only to be brought down. It was a cast iron penalty, but the loose ball was quickly put into the empty net by Pringle and the advantage was given. Linfield was taking up some good positions in the Stoke box, and should have added to the reds lead when he found himself in space ten yards out, but instead of blasting it he tried to slide it into the corner and the keeper got across to smother the shot. After that though, the reds seemed to take their foot off the gas. They were still in complete control, and dominated possession. But they didn't seem to have any urgency about their play and Stoke pulled a goal back against the run of play, when the lone striker headed in a cross from the left. Stoke were only a threat on the counter attack, and didn't put together too many passing moves. Yet despite being outclassed for much of the game, they drew level with four minutes to go when the centre forward got in behind the Liverpool defence and beat the advancing Roberts to the ball to lob the ball in from forty yards. There was still time for Liverpool to create another glorious opening for Linfield, but again the striker opted to try and place the ball rather than blast it, and succeeded only in hitting the keeper with it. Overall, it was an average performance, but for twenty minutes after half time some of the football played was excellent. It was a one sided game,but the reds paid the price for easing off when it looked like the game was won. Even though they weren't anywhere near their best (according to a couple of the dads I spoke to afterwards) it was still easy to see why this team are so highly regarded. They play the ball on the floor, and everyone looked comfortable on the ball. Ryan is at the hub of everything, but even the two centre backs look to get the ball down and play. Ten of this group have already been given scholarships for next season, and next year the u18 side should be a lot stronger than they have been this season. As for the u18s, they drew as well, coming from behind to earn a point thanks to Danny Guthrie's strike. Team: Roberts; Darby, Spearing, Threlfall, Behan; Cox (Mattone), Ryan, Barnett, Woodward; Linfield, Pringle: Apologies if any of the above names are incorrect, but there are no teamsheets for these games and the lack of coverage given to the u16s anywhere else means that it's difficult to find out any information about the lads. I managed to get most of the names (many thanks to Jay Spearing's dad), but if I've got any wrong then feel free to mail me and let me know. Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk For exclusive photo's from this game click here

LIVERPOOL 1 Bradford 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) – Emile HeskeyHalf Time - 0-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sat 19 August 2000 Star Man – Vladimir Smicer It wasn't pretty, and for a while it looked like we were going to endure another afternoon of frustration, but thankfully it all worked out okay in the end. We'd gone over ten hours without scoring a Premiership goal, and it looked like Bradford were going to keep us out again. Despite Vladimir Smicer being in inspirational form, and Nick Barmby also looking quite bright on his Premiership debut for the reds, there was no cutting edge. Owen may as well not have even been on the field, such was his lack of impact, and Heskey was having a difficult time. That said, the lack of patience shown by some sections of the crowd was alarming to say the least. Defensively, apart from one dodgy moment when Hopkin was allowed a one-on-one with Sander, we were as comfortable as you can ever be. Bradford came to defend, and did it well to be fair to them, but this is something which we will need to overcome if we are to improve on last season's fourth place. It's well documented that when teams defend deep and get men behind the ball we have problems, and unless we get an early goal you can pretty much guarantee a long hard afternoon is in store, and so it proved today. The signings of Barmby and McAllister, combined with the rebirth of Smicer had given us hope that the lack of creativity that plagued us last season would be a thing of the past, and to a certain extent it proved to be the case, but we still had only a single goal to show for all our domination. The first half was pretty poor, as the players appeared to be a bit tentative and failed to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Things improved after the break, and it was only some fine keeping by Matt Clarke in the Bradford goal that kept us at bay. Thankfully, Emile popped up with a scorcher to give us the three points, but realistically, we should not be relying on a single goal to beat teams as poor as Bradford. It worries me greatly that we haven't given anyone a real hiding in over twelve months. I can't help feeling that's because our tactics are too negative, especially at home. Houllier's philosophy is that when you get a lead, the most important thing is to maintain it, but I'd like to see us become a bit more positive. Trying to 'hold what we have' is a risky game to play, and it can backfire badly. Surely teams like Bradford should be leaving Anfield with their arses well and truly tanned, and we should be going for the jugular right from the first whistle. That would also eradicate another major problem we have - the crowd's impatience. The longer the game stays at 0-0, the more restless many fans become, and that transmits itself through to the players. When we take the lead, we should be looking to go and build on it, rather than simply ‚'hold what we have'. I believe a lot of this defensive mentality stems from Houllier's first game in charge, when we lost against Leeds despite being one up. GH felt that we lost because we went gung-ho looking for a second goal, and he has a point, but I would argue that we've also dropped points from not killing teams off when we had the chance. Even average teams like Sunderland, Spurs, West Ham and the blueshite have had quite a few resounding home wins over the past year, so why haven't we? Because we are more concerned with 'holding what we have' rather than going for more goals that's why. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but for a team with as many good players as us to struggle so badly, so often, against the dregs of the Premiership certainly raises some serious questions about tactics. Still, we picked up the three points and it's too early in the season to be critical, but it will be interesting to see if this pattern continues, or if we will finally start to hand out some beatings. TEAM: Sander Westerveld; Markus Babbel, Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Djimi Traore: Nick Barmby, Didi Hamann, Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer; Emile Heskey, Michael Owen:

FAYC LIVERPOOL U18 1 Spurs U18 1 (Spurs win 4-2 on pens) Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Karl NoonHalf Time - 1-1 Venue - Anfield Date - Tue 18 Jan 2005 Star Man - Danny Guthrie A thoroughly miserable week for the reds was made complete as the u18's were sent tumbling out of the FA Youth Cup after a penalty shoot out defeat to Spurs. The defeat was cruel on John Owens' side, who probably just shaded a closely contested game which saw some excellent football played by both sides. The reds named the same eleven that had put six past Wealdstone in the last round, and the lads started the game very well. They may be bottom of the u18 league, but there appeared to be no shortage of confidence as they set about the visitors from the opening whistle. Liverpool took the lead seven minutes into the game through Karl Noon. Danny Guthrie was the creator, exchanging passes with Conal Platt before sliding a brilliant pass through to overlapping left back Danny Smith. Smith advanced to the byline before driving the ball across the face of goal giving Noon a simple tap in. The lead lasted just five minutes however, as Spurs levelled through livewire striker Andy Barcham. When he latched onto a through ball there seemed little danger at first, but he did well to cut inside Hitchen and fire a low shot past Roberts. Platt then tested Spurs keeper Foilcast with a 20 yd effort after some excellent work by Guthrie, before the reds were given a huge let off when Spurs somehow failed to put the ball in the net after a frantic goalmouth scramble on 22 minutes. Three times it looked as though the ball had to go in, but each time a defender managed to get a block and in the end Roberts smothered the ball and the danger was averted. Roberts then made a great save from Barcham minutes later, as the visitors enjoyed a good spell of pressure. The reds weathered the storm though, and even though they lost winger Adam Hammill through injury just before half time, Owens' side still went on to control the second half. Spurs were always a threat on the counter however, with the pace of Barcham and substitute Hamed giving Liverpool plenty to think about. Roberts made a great stop after Barcham had turned Threlfall and ran clear from the halfway line ten minutes after the break. The striker seemed certain to score, but u16 keeper Roberts did very well to keep it out. The keeper enjoyed a huge slice of good fortune shortly after however, when he dropped a high cross and Spurs felt the ball had crossed the line before Roberts managed to retrieve the situation. The incident was at the Anny Road end and I was sat on the Kop, so I have no idea whether it was over the line or not, but the referee and linesman didn't give it despite the protests of the Spurs players. They've not had much luck with goalline decisions of late have they? Liverpool continued to dominate possession, but for all the neat approach play of Guthrie and Platt, they were finding it tough to get a clear sight of the Tottenham goal. Roberts had to make another excellent save with 14 minutes remaining, and the reds should have won the game with the last kick of normal time when substitute Charlie Barnett played in Noon only for the striker to hit his shot too close to the keeper. Noon was replaced by Townley shortly after, and the substitute wasted a great opportunity at the Kop end in the second period of extra time when he blazed the ball over after a cross from the impressive Conal Platt. Platt had been a hat-trick hero in the last round against Wealdstone, and he caught the eye again before he was replaced due to cramp with eight minutes of extra time left. Neither side could make the breakthrough, and on to penalty kicks we went. Up first was captain Danny Guthrie, but even though it wasn't the worst penalty in the world, it was a decent height for the keeper who made a brilliant save to his right. It was cruel on Guthrie, who had been outstanding. The England u18 midfielder ran the game from midfield and was the best player on view by some distance. O'Hara netted for Spurs, and then up stepped u16 defender Robbie Threlfall. Robbie had his own little fan club on the Kop, presumably all his mates and their girlfriends. You'd think that stepping up to take a penalty at the Kop end would be a nerve wracking experience for a 16 year old, but Robbie was actually laughing as he walked up to take the kick accompanied by wild cheering and hysterical screaming! He coolly sent the keeper the wrong way before winking at his mates. Phil Ifill and Charlie Lee netted for Chelsea, and Townley tucked away his kick for the reds before James Frayne saw his poor kick saved by Foilcast. Spurs needed only to score from one of their two remaining kicks to go through, but the shoot out ended in controversial circumstances when Roberts kept out the visitors fourth penalty by Scott Thyer, only for the referee order the kick to be retaken. The linesman had ruled that Roberts had moved off his line before the kick was taken, which was a scandalously petty decision. Every keeper takes a slight step forward before diving, and Roberts was actually virtually on the goalline when he saved with his legs. The Spurs keeper had done the exact same thing when making both of his saves, and the deciion left a sour taste in the mouth. Thyer made no mistake after his reprieve, sending Roberts the wrong way before being mobbed by his delirious team-mates. Had he done that the first time this defeat would have been easier to take, but the linesman ruined what could have been an exciting finale as there would have been a lot of pressure on Spurs fifth penalty taker. It's disappointing to go out, but the reds have played well in this competition, making a mockery of their awful league form. Guthrie was excellent in both games, as was Conal Platt, whilst Danny Smith was outstanding against Spurs, both in defence and supporting the attack. Hopefully the lads can take this form into their Academy league games and start climbing the table. Team: Dave Roberts, Jordan Holmes, Danny Smith, Adam Hitchen, Robbie Threlfall, Danny Guthrie, Adam Hammill (Charlie Barnett), Jay Spearing, Karl Noon (Phil Townley), Conal Platt (James Frayne): Agree or Disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

FAYC LIVERPOOL U18 6 Wealdstone U18 0 Report by Dave Usher at Anfield Scorer(s) - Conal Platt (3), Karl Noon, Jordan Holmes, Danny GuthrieHalf Time - 4-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Tue 21 Dec 2004 Star Man - Conal Platt Conal Platt was the hat-trick hero as the reds youth team went goal crazy against Wealdstone at Anfield to book their place in the FA Youth Cup fourth round. John Owens' u18 side have struggled for goals all season, but the non league minnows proved to be little more than cannon fodder as Karl Noon, Danny Guthrie and even full back Jordan Holmes joined Platt on the scoresheet. The reds have fallen at the first hurdle for the previous three seasons, including two embarrassing home defeats to Barnsley and Gillingham, and for the opening ten minutes of this game it appeared that the unthinkable could be on the cards again. Wealdstone flew out of the traps, backed by a large vocal following on the Kop, and in the opening minutes they had the reds penned back in their own half. Liverpool keeper Dave Roberts had to make a smart low save to his right after his defence allowed a Wealdstone player to get a powerful shot in. I was seriously worried at this point, but that was the best the visitors had to offer and from that moment on it was one way traffic. With Paul Barratt excelling in an unfamiliar left wing role, and the tricky Adam Hammill running Wealdstone ragged on the opposite flank, the reds began to tear huge holes in the Southerners back four. Platt opened the scoring after 21 minutes following a superb run and cut back from the outstanding Barratt, which the reds number ten tapped in at the back post. Three minutes later Platt produced a stunning left foot volley from 20 yards which flew into the top corner of the net at the Anny Road end. Wealdstone's resistance was completely broken now, and their supporters on the Kop fell silent. Reds' skipper Guthrie made it 3-0 on the half hour mark, with a crisp low shot from the corner of the area which cannoned in off the far post. It was now a matter of how many Owens' side would get, and five minutes later Noon got in on the act, when a great run and pass from Hammill found him in the area, and the striker finished neatly. Hammill was just too direct and skilful for Wealdstone, and he came close to the goal his performance deserved when a minute before half time he went on a mazy run down the left, before cutting in an striking a viscious shot which the keeper did well to palm away. Twelve minutes into the second half, it was 5-0. Right back Holmes, only recently back after a long term injury, brought the ball forward from the back and played in Noon. The forward's cross was just too deep for Platt, who retrieved the ball on the left wing before slipping a delightful little pass between two defenders to send Barratt surging through. Barratt carried the ball to the byline before cutting it back to Holmes, who had continued his run and finished well at the Kop end. Owens withdrew the impressive Hammill and sent on u16 star Charlie Barnett shortly after, and then took off Adam Hitchen - another who has only just returned from a lengthy lay off - to introduce the versatile Calum Woods. Platt grabbed his hat-trick with twenty minutes to go, when he latched onto a bad backpass before coolly sliding the ball past the keeper for a a well deserved treble. The reds lack of goals at u18 level has been something of a mystery to me, as I think highly of both Platt and Noon. Both are very good players, and they aooear to compliment each other well. Yet the goals just haven't come, but perhaps this game can give them the confidence they may have been lacking in front of goal. Platt is a player I really enjoy watching, as his football brain and elegance of movement make him very easy on the eye. He's not the quickest, but isn't slow either, and his ability to drop deep and pick out a pass have earned him comparisons with Teddy Sheringham. He was outstanding against Wealdstone and fully deserved to go home with the match ball. I felt I had to give him the star man as he did hit a hat-trcik, but in fairness Barratt was probably the most impressive performer on the night. He was absolutely outstanding, and the summer recruit from Man City seems to get better by the week. His surging runs and quick feet had the Wealdstone defence tied in knots at times. Guthrie was excellent too, keeping the ball moving and always making himself available for a pass, whilst subs Barnett and Jimmy Ryan also did their hopes of a starting place in the next round no harm at all. It was a good night's work, and a performance which will hopefully give the lads some confidence. It's been a very disappointing season for the u18's so far, but maybe this could be a turning point for them. The opposition was poor it must be said, and Spurs will present a much tougher test in the next round. But you can only beat what's in front of you, and Owens' side did just that, and in some style. The lads played some excellent football and really could have had double figures. Whatever happens against Spurs next time out, it's nice to be in the fourth round for a change, especially as the mancs and Chelsea have both been eliminated already. Team: Dave Roberts; Jordan Holmes, Adam Hitchen (Calum Woods), Robbie Threlfall, Danny Smith; Adam Hamill (Charlie Barnett), Danny Guthrie, Jay Spearing (Jimmy Ryan), Paul Barrett; Conal Platt, Karl Noon: Agree or Disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

MARK SMYTH 2004-05 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 09/01/85 Nationality - English Games - 1 Goals - 0 Position - Striker Cost - Club Hons (Lpool) - None Club Hons (other - None Intnl Hons - England u20 Other Clubs - None A lifelong red who as a young boy dreamt of emulating his idol Ian Rush and playing for Liverpool, Smyth joined the Reds' Academy from Tranmere Rovers when he was 14 years old and went on to represent England at every youth level up to under 20. He was a key member of Dave Shannon's under 17 side which went through an entire season unbeaten. His versatility gave Shannon plenty of options, as the pacy youngster was equally at home on either wing as well as up front and he plundered numerous goals and forced his way into the England youth set up. Smyth continued his good form through to under 19 level and soon forced his way into the reserve set up. The competition for places up front was fierce however, and Gerard Houllier's strained relationship with the Academy didn't make things easy for local youngsters to break through. It was difficult enough just to get into the reserve team, let alone the senior squad. Smyth was told by Houllier at the end of the 2003/04 season that he was not part of his future plans and that he should look for another club. This despite Mark still having a year left on a three year professional contract he signed when he was 17. It was a devastating blow for a lad who had always dreamed of one day playing for the first team of the club he had supported all of his life. Indeed, such was Smyth's love for the club, that whilst the other youngsters who had not been kept on opted to miss the final under 19 game of the season to try and get fixed up with new clubs, Mark insisted on turning out for John Owens' side as he just wanted to wear the red shirt one last time. It was a remarkable show of loyalty, as he was due at Sheffield Wednesday for a trial the next day. Cruelly, Mark picked up an injury in that last academy game which was aggravated further during trials with Wednesday and Ipswich, and he faced a summer of recuperation and an uncertain future. Then Houllier left the club, and after speaking to Steve Heighway and Rick Parry, Mark turned down the club's offer to pay up the remainder of his contract and he requested that he be allowed to see out the final 12 months of his deal. New boss Rafa Benitez had no objection and Smyth got to wear the red shirt he cherishes for another year. Whatsmore, his lifelong dream of playing for the first team came true when he appeared as a substitute in the Carling Cup win over Spurs at White Hart Lane. It was to be the only time he would appear for the first team, and he was released at the end of the season when his contract ran out, but that night at White Hart Lane is something Mark will savour for the rest of his life.

Everton U18 1 LIVERPOOL U18 1 Report by Dave Usher at the Everton Academy, Netherton Scorer(s) - Karl Noon (pen)Half Time - 1-1 Venue - The Everton Academy Date - Sat 30 Oct 2004 Star Man - Paul Barratt A Paul Willis penalty save in the second half ensured this game ended all square, but Liverpool will feel they should have come away with maximum points after creating the better chances in what was a typically hard fought encounter. The blues' have a much more impressive record than John Owens' side this season, and are several points better off in the table. You'd never have guessed on the evidence of this game however, as there was little to choose between the sides. Liverpool rested skipper Danny O'Donnell, who's been a regular for the reserves this season and will no doubt be featuring in the second string's game with Aston Villa on Monday night. Ryan Wilkie was also left on the subs bench with the reserve game in mind. U16 defender Robbie Threlfall replaced O'Donnell in the centre of defence alongside James Smith, whilst Wilkie's replacement was Conal Platt, back after missing the last two games through international commitments with Ireland u19's. Everton took the lead on seven minutes, when a right wing cross appeared to be handled by a reds defender. I'm not sure who it was to be honest (the bright sunshine made it very difficult to pick people out at that end of the field). I heard someone say it was James Smith but it could also have been Threlfall or Danny Smith for all I know. Anyway, their centre forward (don't know his name, the mingebags didn't print enough teamsheets to go round so I never got one) stepped up and slotted the kick past Willis. Liverpool responded to the setback well, and a minute later Noon was put through the middle by Barratt, but the striker's shot was well saved by the keeper. Barratt was impressing in the centre of the park, and Everton were having trouble picking up his runs beyond the strikers. On 25 minutes he collected the ball inside his own half on the left following the breakdown of an Everton attack, and skipped past two tackles as he surged towards the Everton penalty area. He cut the ball back to the waiting Platt, but he dragged his shot across the goal and just wide of the far post. Shortly afterwards Barratt played in Noon again for a one on one with the keeper, but once more the striker was denied by a fine save. The game started to get really heated as half time approached, and Guthrie was yellow carded for a dangerous looking tackle on Hughes. Danny actually got the ball, but the Everton skipper took exception to the tackle and twice booted the Liverpool player as he lay on the floor. It was right in front of the referee, who saw the whole thing. Guthrie was booked, yet Hughes escaped with just a talking to. Here's me thinking that if you booted someone who was lying on the floor it was a straight red card. Obviously I was wrong. The tackles started to fly in thick and fast after that, and the referee was in danger of losing control of the game at this point. Danny Smith escaped from two wild lunges, and was then punished for flying into a third challenge and actually winning the ball. Then out of nothing in first half stoppage time, the ref awarded Liverpool a penalty after the linesman had spotted a tug on Barratt's shirt by Hughes. Barratt had made another run ahead of his strikers and had beaten Hughes to the ball, and as he tried to hold it up and wait for support, Hughes had a little pull at him. It was a soft penalty to give away, but had it happened outside the box no-one would have complained at the award of a free-kick, so techinically it was a pen, even though Everton were unhappy about it. Noon stepped up and rolled the penalty into the bottom corner, and seconds after the restart he should have put his side in front, when the ball broke to him just inside the box. He made space for a shot, but once again the keeper denied him with a brilliant stop, which went unnoticed by the ref who strangely awarded a goal kick. The reds had done more than enough to be in the lead in the first half, but as has so often been the case this season they didn't get what their performance had deserved. The second half was much more even, although Liverpool still had chances to win the game. Barratt had the first effort following the interval, when he went on a solo run through the middle from his own half which took him all the way into the Everton box. The blues defence had pushed up to try and catch Noon and Frayne offside, so Barratt just went himself and he deserved a goal for his efforts. Sadly by the time he reached the goal it looked like he was shattered, and there was no power in his shot. Frayne then had a great chance, when Danny Smith won the ball and lofted it towards Noon. The striker produced a brilliant touch to pull the ball out of the air and flick it into the path of Frayne, buthis first touch was slightly heavy however, and it allowed the keeper to come out and challenge. Frayne beat him to it but put the ball over the bar, and the players collided, resulting in what looked like a very bad injury to the Everton lad. The boy was screaming in pain, and after a lengthy delay was eventually removed from the field on a stretcher. Hopefully he'll be ok, but he was clearly in agony. Everton then had a glorious chance to regain the lead, when for the third time in the match, the referee pointed to the spot after James Smith appeared to stumble and as he fell he dragged down the number nine. Smith was furious, and he may have had reason to be. I didn't see what led up to him losing his balance and taking the striker down, and it's possible there was an earlier collision caused it. Smith certainly felt aggrieved, not for the first time in the game. But having given two other penalties for what looked like lesser offences, the referee was always going to give this one. Willis ensured that the decision would not prove costly however, as he dived to his right to make a fine stop before leaping to his feet and also blocking the follow up effort. Everton always looked threatening from set pieces, due to their height advantage, but James Smith battled manfully to contest every aerial ball, and after the penalty neither keeper was seriously tested as the game ended all square. For me, Barratt was the star man, largley thanks to his first half performance when he was outstanding. He faded as the second half wore on, but some of his attacking in the first half was superb. Noon had a good game and worked tirelessly as always, whilst Calum Woods was as consistent and reliable as ever at right back. I don't think I have ever seen Woods have a bad game. Danny Smith is another Mr Reliable, and he and Threlfall both did well in defence, as did James Smith who skippered the side well in O'Donnell's absence. Over on the other pitch, the u16's maintained their impressive form with a 4-2 victory. Team: Paul Willis; Calum Woods, James Smith, Robbie Threlfall, Danny Smith; Adam Hamill, Danny Guthrie, Paul Barratt, Conal Platt; Karl Noon, James Frayne: For exclusive photographs from this game click here Agree or Disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

FERNANDO MORIENTES Date of Birth - 5/4/76 Nationality - Spanish Position - Striker Games - 61 Goals - 12 Club Hons (Lpool) - 2006 Super Cup, 2006 FA Cup Club Hons (Other) - Spanish Championship, Champions League Winner Intnl Hons - Spanish Caps Other Clubs - Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid, Monaco (loan), Valencia

EL HADJI DIOUF 2002-05 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 28/10/85 Nationality - Senegalise Position - Winger/Forward Games - 80 Goals - 6 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Cup 2003 International Hons - Senegal caps Other Clubs - ASC Kaani Gui, Sochaux, Rennes, Lens, Bolton, Sunderland, Blackburn In terms of value for money El Hadji Diouf has to be the worst signing in Liverpool's history. Unquestionably talented, on his day the Senegal man really looked the part. Unfortunately those 'days' were very few and far between. Having dazzled the world in the Japan and Korea in the 2002 World Cup, Gerard Houllier opted to splash out £10m on the player dubbed 'The Serial Killer' rather than turn the loan signing of Nicolas Anelka into a permanent deal. It was claimed that Houllier was worried about Anelka's behaviour and attitude, although the former Arsenal man had behaved impeccably in six months at Anfield. Diouf himself had something of a reputation as wild man. Houllier put this down to the recklessness of youth and insisted he had no fear about the temperament of the man who inspired Senegal to a shock win over World Campions France in the opening game of the 2002 tournament. It started well enough for Diouf, with two goals on his home debut against Southampton. But it went downhill from there. Subbed after a disappointing display in Valencia, when he was selected ahead of Michael Owen, Diouf was criticised by Houllier, who claimed that 'maybe the game was too big for him.' After that, the two time African Footballer of the Year struggled to get in the team up front, and eventually found himself converted into a right winger. He had some success in the role, most notably when he produced an excellent display in the Worthington Cup final triumph over Manchester United in Cardiff. Diouf tormented Silvestre that day, and was showing signs of blossoming into a good player. His work rate was admirable, and although it didn't make up for a lack of goals and assists, it did mean that the fans cut him some slack. At leat he was working for the team. Overall, his first season wasn't too bad, although given the high expectations after his world cup showing, many fans were disappointed with his contribution, especially given his hefty price tag. He was also involved in an unsavoury spitting incident in a UEFA Cup tie at Cletic, when he was fined two weeks wages and summoned before a Glasgow court of law after spitting into the crowd. But if his first season was reasonable, his second was dreadful. It all started well enough, and in the opening month or so of the campaign Diouf was arguably the reds' best player. But as the African Nations Cup drew closer, Diouf's form got worse. His love of the Liverpool nightlife wasn't helping either, and when he reported back late from representing Senegal in the African Nations, Houllier banished him from the squad for a few games. He won his place back, but continued to frustrate with ineffective displays, and when the reds were knocked out of the UEFA Cup in Marseille, Diouf angered the travelling fans by being seen grinning and high-fiving opposing players and French journalists. The fact he'd been linked with a summer move to Marseille merely rubbed further salt in the wound. Diouf's goalscoring record is absolutely abysmal. He managed six goals in his first season, but none in his second. Even worse, in the time between his last goal for the reds and the end of the 2003.04 season, he picked up about 18 bookings, and was subbed on numerous occasions before he was sent off. Rafa Benitez arrived in the summer of 2004, and wanted nothing to do with Diouf. A season long loan deal was agreed with Bolton, where Diouf showed glimpses of the form which had made him such an exciting prospect. However, the other side of his character was showing itself all too frequently, and three times in the opening months of the campaign he was involved in spitting incidents. Unquestionably talented, Diouf has become one of the most reviled figures in the Premiership, and when Bolton offered to make his loan deal permanent, Rafa Benitez almost bit their hand off. The reds took a massive loss on Diouf, but they just wanted him out of the club in the end. He left the Reebok after three years to join Sunderland, but six months later he was on his way again, as he was re-united with Sam Allardyce who had just taken over at Blackburn Rovers. More info on El Hadji Diouf ++ / LFChistory.net -- Past Present Future

DJIBRIL CISSE 2004-07 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 12/08/81 Nationality - French Position - Forward Cost - £14m Games - 79 Goals - 24 Club Hons (Lpool) - 2005 Champions League, 2006 Super Cup, 2006 FA Cup Club Hons (Other) - None Intnl Hons - French Caps Other Clubs - Auxerre, Marseille Extrovert French star Cisse became the club's record signing when he ended one of the longest running transfer saga's in history and finally put pen to paper on a Liverpool contract on July 1 2004. Liverpool had been tracking the Auxerre starlet for three years, and his arrival at the club was a long time coming indeed. The deal had been set up two years before, but Auxerre insisted the player remain with them until they were ready to release him. Gerard Houllier had worked harder than anyone to set up the deal, but he would not reap the rewards as he was replaced by Rafael Benitez before having the chance to work with the much sought after Cisse. Rarely has a player seemed more keen to come to Liverpool than Cisse, who regularly spoke of how much he was looking forward to pulling on the red shirt, and turned down advances from some of Europe's top clubs because 'Liverpool wanted me first and I gave them my word.' Devastatingly quick with a powerful shot, Cisse finished his last season in France as the league's top scorer, but missed out on the French squad for Euro 2004 through a suspension picked up whilst on under 21 duty. His first appearance for the reds came in a friendly at Wrexham, and his first goals arrived a few days later in a 5-1 thrashing of Celtic in the USA. He made a dream start to his first league game for the club, scoring at White Hart Lane in the 1-1 draw with Spurs on the opening day of the season, but after that he struggled to make much of an impression. Further goals came against Monaco and Norwich, but a horriffic leg break at Ewood Park looked to have ended his season in October. However, the young Frenchman defied medical opinion and was back remarkably back playing within five months. He came off the bench in Turin to help the reds edge past Juventus, and was involved in every game after that all the way through to the Champions League Final in Istanbul, where he coolly converted a penalty in the shoot out. The following season was a frustrating one for Djibril, as he found himself in and out of the side and was often used as a makeshift wideman. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his place, he still managed to find the net regularly. His all round game failed to convince however, with the FA Cup final providing the perfect example of how Cisse could go from the sublime to the ridiculous in the space of 90 minutes. He scored a stunning volley in that game to help get the reds back into the game, but aside from that contribution the only thing of note he will be remembered for in the game was his awful choice of footwear. His place at club level may not have been assured, but in the build up to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, it looked like Cisse had managed to nail down a place in the French starting line up. He lined up alongside Thierry Henry in France's final warm up game, but another sickening leg break would rule him out of the competition. He joined Marseille on a year long loan that summer, and completed a permanent move back to France the following summer.

LIVERPOOL U18 0 Man City U18 3 Report by Dave Usher at the Academy Scorer(s) - NoneHalf Time - 0-1 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 23 Oct 2004 Star Man - James Smith Liverpool's under18 side suffered yet another defeat, as top of the table Manchester City came away from the Academy with a comfortable 3-0 victory. It wasn't quite as bad as the scoreline suggests, and the first half was a fairly even contest where the reds more than matched City. John Owens was without Danny Smith and Phil Townley, whilst Conal Platt was on international duty with Ireland u19's. U16 left back Robbie Threlfall started, whilst James Frayne was included up front. City are always strong at youth level, and it's easy to see why this team currently tops the table. Firstly, they're very, very big. Almost all of the side are big and strong, and in centre forward Ishmael Miller they have a man mountain who can also run and has a decent touch. He's a handful, but was kept in check by the brilliant James Smith, who was an absolute collossus in defence. Left winger Karl Bermingham looks a very good player, as does striker Ashley Grimes. Both centre halves looked very good as well, and Liverpool actually did very well in the first half to stay with them. In fact, the reds can count themselves very unlucky not be ahead at the break, having twice hit the woodwork. Yet as has often been the case this season, they found themselves trailing despite having played pretty well. Adam Hammill started the match on the right wing, and the tricky youngster almost put the reds in front after ten minutes when he cut inside and beat two players before curling a terrific shot which struck the top of the crossbar with Kasper Schmeichel well beaten. City were looking dangerous every time they attacked however, and on fifteen minutes Paul Willis was forced into the first of several fine saves when a swift counter attack saw the ball worked to Miller in the box, but his shot was kept out by the reds keeper. The reds then caught City with a counter attack of their own two minutes later, when Willis plucked a corner out of the air, and bowled the ball out to Noon on the right wing. Noon advanced forward before splitting the defence with a great ball to Frayne, but the young striker's shot was just too high. A great break though. City went in front on 24 minutes, but the reds have every right to feel aggrieved at the manner in which they fell behind. Powerful right winger Michael Johnson was fouled by Threlfall, but stayed on his feet and an advantage was played. He got to the byline, but then badly overhit his cross. However, the referee then decided to bring the play back for the original foul. As the ball was whipped in towards City's big men, Threlfall rose highest to meet it, but the ball skimmed off his head and past Willis for an unfortunate own goal. Six minutes later City almost went two up when O'Donnell played a terrible pass from inside his own box, presenting the ball to Grimes on the edge of the area. Fortunately James Smith was there to make a fantastic block. Smith's performance was Henchoz like, and I can't speak highly enough of how good the lad was today. Any time there was a block to be made, he was there throwing himself in front of the ball. He competed well in the air against the giant Miller, and his covering and reading of the play was faultless. Frayne was causing City some problems with his pace and control, and on 32 minutes he cleverly made space for himself on the edge of the box but just when he shaped to shoot a defender managed to get a deflection on it and diverted it away from Schmeichel juniors goal. Liverpool were growing in confidence now though, and started to play some really good stuff. Hammill drifted over to the left wing, and created a great chance for Ryan Wilkie when he drifted away from two defenders before backheeling the ball into Wilkie's path. The Scot advanced on goal but his shot from a tight angle was straight at Schmeichel who parried it away for a corner. The reds continued to press, and two minutes before half time they put together the move of the half, when Guthrie headed the ball to Barratt and then collected a return pass. Noon made a clever run and was found by Guthrie, but Schmeichel rushed out and saved at the strikers feet. Liverpool were really on top at this point, and some of their football was excellent. It looked as though they would be rewarded when Noon escaped the attention of his marker on the left of the area, and from his pinpoint cross Frayne nipped in ahead of his marker and sidefooted the ball goalwards. It seemed a certain goal, but the ball crashed against the crossbar and bounced clear. Sadly the reds couldn't carry the momentum they'd built up into the second half. A Guthrie free kick which forced Schmeichel into a scrambling save was the best they could muster, and after that it was all City. Willis saved well with his feet on three occasions, and also tipped the ball over the bar after a great strike by the influential Bermingham. For all the keeper's heroics, and the resolute defending of Smith, City still managed to find the net twice more to give the scoreline a more convincing look. It was Grimes who made it 2-0 on 70 minutes when he advanced in the inside right channel and finished superbly with a fine shot from a tight angle. Bermingham capped a fine individual display with an excellent goal eleven minutes from time, and City were certainly worth the points, although three nil was harsh on the reds. Smith was easily the star man, but there were other good performances too. Willis made some excellent stops, and Calum Woods' distribution from full back was very good. Guthrie played pretty well in midfield, and Noon and Frayne were excellent in the first half before fading after the break. It's been a wretched season so far for the u18's, but on the positive side of things, the u16 side are unbeaten and are from what I hear they are very, very good. Apparently they're known at the Academy as the 'Dream Team' and there's every chance that some of them will be introduced to the u18 set up after Christmas. Team: Paul Willis; Calum Woods, James Smith, Danny O'Donnell, Robbie Threlfall; Ryan Wilkie, Danny Guthrie, Paul Barratt, Adam Hamill (Jonathon Pringle); Karl Noon (Charlie Barnett), James Frayne: For exclusive photographs from this game click here Agree or Disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

RICHIE PARTRIDGE 2000-05 Date of Birth - 12/09/80 Nationality - Irish Games - 3 Goals - 0 Position - Winger Club Hons (Lpool) - None Club Hons (other) - None Intnl Hons - Ireland u21 Other Clubs - Bristol Rovers (loan), Coventry (loan), Rotherham As a teenager Richie Partridge appeared to have the world at his feet. Lightning quick and extremely skilful, he was even compared to Brazilian great Jairzinho by one of his Ireland Youth coaches. He was making a name for himself at the Reds Academy when Gerard Houllier arrived at the club, and the Academy staff recommended the new boss should run the rule over the young Dubliner. Houllier sent his assistant Patrice Bergues to watch him, but it was his team-mates Steven Gerrard and Stephen Wright that caught the eye of Bergues. Both were promoted to train at Melwood with the first team, whilst Richie was left training with the youngsters. Some impressive displays for the reserve side eventually persuaded Houllier that a 1st team call up was warranted, and Richie made his debut in the 8-0 League Cup victory at Stoke. He did ok, nothing special, but only played for 45 minutes and it was four years before he would feature in the senior side again. In that time, he suffered a catalogue of injuries, including a couple of serious knee problems that ruled him out for some time. When he did play, he looked promising, but he could never stay fit long enough to catch the eye of the manager. He impressed on loan, most notably at Coventry where he scored some spectacular individual goals under the managership of Gary McAllister, but he was unable to force his way into the Liverpool side upon his return. Two impressive substitute appearances in the League Cup against Spurs and Middlesbrough were all he had to show for his endeavours, and Richie was released by the club at the end of the 2003/04 season, signing for Rotherham.

LIVERPOOL U18 1 Bolton U18 0 Report by Dave Usher at the Academy Scorer(s) - Conal PlattHalf Time - 0-0 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 9 Oct 2004 Star Man - Paul Lancaster A Conal Platt goal midway through the second half gave the reds' u18 side only their second win of the season, but it needed a late penalty save from Paul Lancaster to secure all three points. Lancaster's spot kick save came with 18 minutes remaining, after left back Danny Smith was penalised for a push on Bolton's Swedish striker Doung Thach. In addition to conceding the penalty, Smith was also red carded and the lads showed great battling qualities to hang on for the win. The reds deserved the win, but were never particularly dominant, and seem to be playing with a lack of confidence at the moment. John Owens was without David Mannix, who will be involved with the reserves in tuesday's mini derby, but Danny O'Donnell, another reserve regular, was included and skippered the side. John Paul Kelly was again missing, and his future at the club seems in serious doubt after he returned to Ireland a couple of weeks ago saying he doesn't want to return. Liverpool still hold his registration, but it looks increasingly likely he won't be back. That would be a great shame, as the boy is a talent, but he has had a lot of problems with homesickness and has had some disciplinary problems as a result of that. Kelly's place in midfield has been taken by new boy Paul Barratt, a recent acquisition from Manchester City. Barratt is a different type of player to 'Joxer', but shares the Irish lad's desire to make runs ahead of the ball and get beyond his strikers. Barratt was partnered in the centre of midfield by Danny Guthrie, with Conal Platt and Ryan Wilkie on the flanks. Platt is usually a striker, but was today used on the left of midfield. The visitors had the first chance of the game after three minutes, when Liverpool failed to clear a free-kick and Lancaster had to save well with his feet. Platt then released Noon who did well to outmuscle his marker and advance into the penalty area. Platt had continued running and was free in the box, but Noon's attempted cutback was well intercepted by a Bolton defender and the chance was gone. Wanderers' right winger Reda Kribib then got in behind Danny Smith on 17 minutes but dragged his shot wide of Lancaster's right hand post. Then came a moment of real controversy just before the half hour. Noon's defence splitting pass sent Adam Hammill through on goal, and the youngster was crudely hacked down from behind by Bolton centre half Jasoslav Fojut. Not only was it a professional foul which denied Hammill a shot on goal, but he was the last man. It was also a crude lunge which left Hammill limping for several minutes afterwards. Result? Free kick on the edge of the box and a yellow card for the defender. God only knows what the ref was thinking because it was as blatant a red card as you'll ever see. The official would later compound his error by dismissing Smith for a far less dangerous, not to mention less cynical challenge. Danny Guthrie stepped up to take the free kick, and rattled the crossbar. Bolton had well and truly got off the hook. A minute later Hammill, still hobbling slightly after that heavy challenge, did well to turn his marker and advance on goal, but dragged his shot just past the far post. Liverpool continued to enjoy a lot of possession without really creating anything clear cut, despite some excellent midfield play from Guthrie and Karl Noon working tirelessly and linking the play well up front. The vistitors started the second half brightly, and Fojut should have scored on 51 minutes when he arrived unmarked in the six yard box but ballooned his shot high over the bar. Poetic justice, as the lad shouldn't have even been on the field after that first half challenge on Hammill. Four minutes later Wilkie had to clear off his own line after the reds failed to deal with an inswinging corner, and from the follow up Lancaster was forced into a smart low save to his right. It was interesting to note that the u18's did not use the much talked about zonal marking from set pieces, and seemed to be using the man to man approach. The opening fifteen minutes of the second half had been good for Bolton, but on 62 minutes Liverpool went in front. Hammill did really well on the left to beat a couple of players and send over a cross, which was just too high for Platt. Noon collected the ball however, and drilled in a low centre from the right which Platt turned in from close range. The goal visibly lifted the reds, and two minutes later Noon headed wide from Peltier's excellent deep cross. Then on 72 minutes came the penalty. As the ball came over from the left, Thach looked certain to score as he prepared to head into an empty net, but he got under the ball too much and headed it high over the bar from only a couple of yards out. The reason he'd gotten under the ball however was because Danny Smith had given him a nudge. No complaints about the penatly, but why was this a red card when the incident in the first half wasn't? Lancaster had looked very assured and confident in everything he'd done prior to the penalty, and it wasn't particularly surprising to see him save Thach's low spot kick. He also managed to save the follow up effort from Sissons, to cap a man of the match performance. Following Smith's dismissal, John Owens opted to carry on with just three at the back, but it was a risky policy which looked likely to backfire, especially as the reds' midfield continued to try and go forward rather than sit in and protect the back three. But the backline held firm, as the outstanding O'Donnell and James Smith repelled every attack that camer their way. Eventually Owens withdrew Platt and sent on right back Mark Roberts to sure things up, and the reds comfortably saw out the final few minutes to collect the points. Lancaster was the star man, but O'Donnell and Smith were both rock solid in the middle of the defence. O'Donnell has really come on this season, and is also very vocal and a good captain. Speaking of vocal, John Owens was also a lot more active today. I was slightly critical of Owens in the last u18 report I did, because he never once left his seat on the bench to offer any encouragement or leadership to his young team, but I can have no such complaint today. It was good to see. Guthrie had a good game, Conal Platt showed some nice touches and Noon was as tireless as ever, so much so that he had to be replaced late on as he was shattered. Hopefully this win will kickstart the season for the u18's, as prior to today it's been pretty horrific. Team: Paul Lancaster; Lee Peltier, James Smith, Danny O'Donnell, Danny Smith; Ryan Wilkie, Danny Guthrie, Paul Barrett, Conal Platt (Mark Roberts); Adam Hamill, Karl Noon (Phil Townley): For exclusive photographs from this game click here

IGOR BISCAN PROFILE Date of Birth - 04/05/78Nationality - Croatian Position - Midfield Games - 118 Goals - 3 Cost - £5m Club Hons (Lpool) - 2001 UEFA Cup, 2001 League Cup, 2005 Champions League Club Hons (Other) - None Intnl Hons - Croatia Caps Other Clubs - Dinamo Zagreb, Panathaniakos

SCORER(S) - HALF TIME - 0-0 VENUE - ANFIELD DATE - TUE 24 AUG 2004 STAR MAN - JOHN ARNE RIISE Report by Dave Usher at Anfield As bad as anything I can remember. That was my verdict as I left Anfield following the reds' shock defeat to Graz, and as I write this two days later I still feel the same, although the depression I felt on the night has been replaced by a sense of perspective which is often absent in the immediate aftermath of a bad result. It was a terrible, terrible performance, and the only crumbs of consolation that can come out of this are that a) it didn't really matter as we went through, and b) Benitez will have learned a lot from it and with the Spanish Armada sailing in to the rescue, it's likely we won't see a display as bad as this for some time. I can look at things objectively now as 48 hours have passed since the game, but coming out of Anfield straight after the game there wasn't much to take consolation from. Yes, we were through, but that shouldn't even have been in the slightest doubt. Yet it was, as we hung on grimly at the end. Against City I had been really impressed with how we played in the second half. If that could be repeated Graz would be swept away with ease. It never happened though. We were sluggish, complacent, and then nervous. The inconsistency which has plagued us for so long may take a while to be eradicated, but the new signings should help to bring a new mentality to those who remain when the cull is finally over. Benitez had made a couple of changes to the side which beat City. As revealed on TLW that day, Darren Potter was given a first start, and Henchoz came in for the injured Josemi. I had also expected Warnock and Biscan to start, as that's how they had lined up in training ahead of the game. However, Benitez must have had second thoughts as Warnock again had to settle for a place on the bench and Diao got the nod over Biscan. Perhaps Benitez didn't want to start with both Warnock and Potter? Maybe Diao impressed more than Biscan in training? Who knows, but clearly predicting Benitez' team selection is not going to be easy this season, as even the players aren't always aware of what's going on. The selection of Diao was baffling, especially given the pre-season form of Biscan. Surely this was the ideal opportunity to give Igor a start? But at Valencia Benitez was known for springing surprises in his team selections, so we better get used to it. It's possible he wanted one last look at Diao before making a final decision on his future, and if that's the case then the Senegal man didn't do anything to suggest he deserves to remain here. Not that he was any worse than anybody else, he wasn't. But with Gerrard and Alonso likely to be first choice, Biscan waiting in the wings and Hamann also here unless someone comes in for him, then the limited Diao is not going to get a look in and we should be getting him off the wage bill. The Graz game may prove to be a watershed for others too. Henchoz is out of contract in the summer, and it's unlikely he'll get a new one. He did okay against Graz, but if another defender comes in it will surely be Steph who leaves. A shame, as I really like the guy, but with Carra switching to the centre and Sami starting to look more like his old self, Henchoz is only going to be back up, and at this stage of his career that's not good enough for him. Then there's Dudek. He had no chance with the goal, which was a belter, but he looked edgy all game. The defenders are unsettled by him and appear not to have any confidence in him anymore, and the crowd clearly have lost faith in him too. The problem is that Kirky seems to be made of straw. If another keeper was signed before the window closes, few would have any complaints. I really don't know what has happened to Jerzy. In his first season he was brilliant, and was being compared to Clemence. Since the 2002 World Cup though, you could compare him to Mike Hooper. And what of Harry Kewell? He's been criticised for his early season form, and maybe that's why Benitez left him in rather than give Warnock a well deserved full debut. Rafa may have thought this was a great chance for Harry to get some form back against limited opposition. If that was the case, it backfired as the Aussie was once more distinctly average. Obviously Kewell won't be sold, not before next summer at least, but he does have a fight on his hands to stay in the team. Warnock has outshone him each time he has come on, and Luis Garcia also offers a massive threat to Kewell, depending on where Rafa wants to play him. World Soccer Magazine's Spanish corespondent Sid Lowe was the guest columnist in the match programme, and if what he says about Benitez is true, Harry's days could be numbered: "Benitez will always prefer a seven out of ten player who can get to an eight every week, rather than a nine out of ten who will only play to eight out of ten." Warnock and Kewell anyone? It's too soon to write Kewell off, but unless he starts delivering he'll be out of the team, then out the door. Houllier may have persevered with players who underachieved, but Benitez won't. Rafa has made a conscious effort to trim the wagebill, and given that Kewell is now the top earner along with Gerrard, he needs to start playing like it or he'll be given the boot, and rightly so. There is no room at Anfield these days for passengers, so Harry needs to sort himself out and quick. I'm not writing him off as he's a massive talent. But whatever the problem is, he needs to identify it and sort it out, because the Harry Kewell of 2004 has not been anything like what he can be. Aside from the defence, everyone was poor against Graz. It was just a horrible, clueless, lacklustre display. Not that we deserved to lose, as the Austrians came to just keep the score down, and it took a wonder goal to make them realise that there was actually a chance for them to win this tie. Even then they didn't begin to throw men forward until the final five minutes. It's a good job they didn't show much ambition, as they could have cost the club millions in lost revenue. We've got Gerrard to thank that we're into the CL draw. It was his performance in the first leg which saw us through this tie, and it was his colossal displays last season which got us to the dance in the first place. He had a rare off night against Graz, but was still our most effective attacking player. That was because no-one else contributed at all. Milan ran himself into the ground once more, but he was more like a clockwork mouse than anything else. Still, at least the effort is there with him. Cisse was absolutely atrocious. His touch doesn't look good, he's easily beaten in the air and he's always in a hurry with everything he does. He's quick and has a powerful shot, but he is going to be hit and miss for a while I think until he settles in. The only thing which is going to help Djibril get better, and help him and Milan form a partnership, is hard work in training and a run of games together. Whether they get that run of games is now debatable, as Luis Garcia may operate as a link striker behind one of them, or he may play on the right until Antonio Nunez is fit again. It was young Darren Potter who filled the problem right side against Graz, and he did a steady job. Some have said he looked out of his depth, but this was a difficult game for Darren to play in for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he's a central midfielder. He's played on the right for reserves, but has always looked much better in the middle. And when he has played out wide for the reserves, he's always had license to come inside. Under Benitez however, the widemen stay wide. Secondly, this was such a poor team performance that it must have been very difficult for a young lad to come in and look good. Had the team been playing well, maybe Darren could have expressed himself a bit more and tried a few different things. As it was, the team were dreadful and Potter took no risks and kept everything simple. I watched Darren closely, and it was obvious he was making a concerted effort to hold his position. He was constantly looking to where other players where in relation to where he was, and was making sure he was where he was supposed to be. No doubt this was something which was worked on in training, and the mere fact that Benitez kept him on for ninety minutes suggests he was happy with the job the youngster was doing. He wasn't spectacular or eye-catching, and just stuck to basics. It was a decent debut, but don't judge Darren Potter on this showing. In central midfield he's a class act. Out wide, he's steady enough, but usually looks like a central midfielder being asked to play out of position. Warnock was again impressive when he came on, and surely it's only a matter of time before he is given his first start. His link up with Riise on the left has looked much more effective than the Riise/Kewell partnership. The Norwegian was comfortably Liverpool's best player on a bad night. He defended well, won every tackle he went in for and put a lot of energy into the game. He's started the season well, and seems to be putting the last two disappointing years behind him. His crossing is still shit though. Carra also had a decent game, and Hyypia did nothing wrong either. But against opposition as poor as Graz, you'd expect the defence to look pretty comfortable. What let the side down was the midfield and strikers looking like complete strangers. That is something which can be worked on in training, and despite the embarrassment of it, this defeat hasn't actually done us any harm. Benitez perhaps learned more about his players in this game than he has in any other so far. And we learned a bit more about him in the way he handled defeat. Coming out of the game, one of my first thoughts was what would Rafa say about it? A 'blessing in disuise' maybe? Thankfully not. There were no silly excuses, and he also accepted his share of the blame, saying it is everybody's fault and he's as much to blame as anyone. Most refreshing. Of course, Graz should have been down to ten men when the skipper was booked twice, but Rafa even laughed that off, describing it as a 'small mistake'. My how times have changed. That said, the performance against Graz was as bad as anything witnessed under Houllier. The Austrian keeper had been excellent in the first leg, but he had nothing to do at Anfield. I remember him making an easy save from a Gerrard shot from distance, and a routine stop from Flo late on, but that's about it. Only when Warnock and Sinama came on did we even look remotely threatening. As I write this now though, I can look at things a lot more positively than I did on Tuesday night. Yes, the performance was terrible. Yes, it was embarrassing to lose to a team none of us had heard of before the draw was made, and yes, some of the players aren't good enough. But the cavalry is on the way in the form of Alonso and Garcia, plus Nunez in a few weeks. Only when these players are bedded into the side and have had time to gel with the rest of the team will we see Benitez' Liverpool. Up to now, he's more or less been working with another man's squad. The Benitez era will fully get under way this weekend when he is finally able to field the two players who topped his transfer wish list when he took charge in June. Viva la Rafalution! Team: Dudek; Carragher, Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise; Potter, Diao, Gerrard, Kewell (Warnock); Cisse (Sinama), Baros (Hamann): Agree or disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

SCORER(S) - MILAN BAROS, STEVEN GERRARD HALF TIME - 0-1 VENUE - ANFIELD DATE - SAT 21 AUG 2004 STAR MAN - MILAN BAROS / STEVEN GERRARD Report by Dave Usher at Anfield What a difference a summer makes! Visiting Anfield in the last couple of years has been like going to the dentists. You have to do it, even though you knew it wouldn't be a pleasant experience and often it would even be excruciatingly painful. But the events of the summer meant that those who flocked to Anfield for this game did so with fresh hope in their hearts, and by the end of an entertaining contest will have left feeling happier than they had for some time. I was absolutely buzzing, and the enthusiasm I hadn't felt in so long was back with a vengeance. How refreshing and exhilarating it felt to actually be able to celebrate a winning goal with all the joy and passion I used to feel. I couldn't do that last season, as the passion had been sucked out of me by the sterile performances and insulting excuses we had to endure on a weekly basis, and in the back of my mind I couldn't help feeling that every goal scored served only to strengthen the position of a man that simply had to be removed from his post if we were to be able to enjoy the game again. But the decisive action of the Liverpool board in the summer has changed everything. Benitez has come in and has made an immediate impression. The football is better, the overpaid underachievers have been shipped out, and we even overturned a half time deficit to win a game for the first time in about five years. I don't know exactly the last time that happened, I'm sure there are some statto's out there who will be able to enlighten me, but I'm sure it's a long time. So for Benitez to do it in his first home game bodes well for the future. Steven Gerrard revealed afterwards that strong words were said at half time and the manager changed a few things around for the second half. Whatever he said did the trick, because the performance after the break was excellent. Not that the first half had been that bad. It wasn't good, but under the circumstances it may have been expecting too much for us to go out and click straight away. The front pairing of Cisse and Baros had not looked particularly good at White Hart Lane, with Milan especially enduring a poor afternoon. It couldn't have more different in this game though, as the Czech led City a merry dance all day. Cisse had some encouraging moments too, and I feel they have the making of an excellent partnership. Many have called for another striker to be brought in to replace Owen, but I'd rather we didn't and just let these two try and form an understanding. Bringing in another forward would simply put a fly in the ointment, especially where Milan is concerned. Baros needs a run of matches, so he can relax and just play his normal game. With the Czech's he isn't under pressure, and he can just go out and play. At Liverpool, for so long his place has not been secure, and he must have felt that if he didn't score he'd be back on the bench. No-one could ever accuse Milan of lacking effort, and my theory is that often he is actually trying too hard to impress. After Spurs last week if I'd have been Benitez I'd have taken Milan to one side and said to him: "Your place is safe, I'm giving you a run of games so just relax and show us what you can do." He may have done that for all I know, but there's no doubt that against City we saw the Milan Baros of Euro 2004. He was relaxed, confident and a right bloody handful. Baros must be a pain in the arse to play against, as he never stops running and is so direct and tricky. For all Owen's goals and massive contribution to the club in the last seven years, he was never able to form a regular effective partnership with any other striker. I'm not saying that's Owen's fault, but it is nonetheless a fact. Perhaps Michael is not so easy to play with? He was the main man, and it was up to others to adapt their game to play alongside him if they wanted to stay in the team. Heskey could do that when he wanted to, but one or two occasions aside, Milan and Michael never looked like hitting it off. But the departure of Owen could be the making of Baros. There were signs today that he and Cisse could really gel, because it looks like they want to. There is no 'senior' partner. They're two young lads both trying to establish themselves and both seem to want to play together and for eachother. One of the most significant moments for me in this game came just after Gerrard's winning goal, and it's something which many won't have picked up on. I only noticed because I happened to be looking in their direction at that particular moment, but as the teams lined up for the restart, Cisse went up to Milan and gave him a little pat on the arse to congratulate him for the part he'd played in the goal. It might not seem like much, but I felt it was significant as Cisse went out of his way to do it. It showed that there's no ego involved, and Cisse was more than happy for his partner to get credit. It's things like that which make players want to play together, and these two could be fantastic for us given time. Neither may match the total Michael would normally have given us, but between them they could get a bucketload, and if the midfield chip in too then hopefully Owen won't be missed. In a disjointed first half, it was Baros and Gerrard who provided the only real moments of quality. The skipper played a more disciplined role than he had in the latter part of last season, but he was just as impressive. He played more central than he did last season, as the reds kept their shape with Finnan and Kewell staying out wide at all times. Gerrard stayed central, but his impact on the game was still colossal, as he created one goal and scored the other. Gerrard may have disappointed (angered in some cases) many fans over the summer with his flirtation with Chelsea, but even though his long term commitment to the club is still in serious question, his commitment when he is on the field is beyond reproach. The first half was relatively even. Kewell stung the palms of James after cutting in from the right, and he then volleyed over from 20 yards. Hyypia did likewise from a much better position, and Gerrard also tested James from distance. At the other end, City had a few promising situations but were generally kept at bay by Carragher and Hyypia. Sami was outstanding in the first half I thought. City dangerman Wright-Phillips wasn't getting too much change out of Riise, and the game looked to be heading into the interval with the scores level at nil nil until a calamitous mix up gifted Liverpool old boy Anelka a goal at the Kop end. A long ball was harmlessly running through to Dudek when Carragher intervened and tried to cushion a back header to his keeper. It wasn't a bad header at all, and Dudek should have gathered it easily. But he hadn't been expecting it, and didn't react as alertly as he should and spilled the ball into the path of Anelka. After being beaten on his near post last week at Spurs, and now this, Dudek's place would surely be under threat if his potential replacement Kirkland wasn't injured yet again. It was a terrible time to concede a goal, and given the reds' recent record of being unable to come back from being behind, no doubt some fans will have been fearing the worst. That doesn't excuse the handful of idiots who booed when the half time whistle went though. Just what possesses someone to boo the team off at half time in the first home game of the season under a new manager? It was only a handful as I say, but it only takes a handful of people to make a noise which can be heard by others in the stadium. To say I was shocked would be a massive understatement. But within minutes of the second half starting, the reds were level. Gerrard's brilliantly executed slide rule pass was taken in his stride by Baros and finished with the coolness which won him the Euro 2004 Golden Boot. The rest of the half was pretty much all Liverpool. Some of the football played was excellent, and when Benitez incorporates the new players into this side there's every reason to feel optimistic. Liverpool attacked in numbers, and worked tirelessly. The balance of the side was good, and even if the two wide midfield players didn't play particularly well, at least they stayed wide and gave the team shape. Finnan was typically average, but I felt a bit sorry for him to be honest. He's an average full back being asked to play as a right winger. He doesn't have pace, can't beat a man and thinks like a defender. There were several occasions when it needed an early ball, only for Finnan to dwell on it before running into trouble and having to go backwards. He tried his best, which is all we can ask of him. His best isn't good enough, but Benitez knows that as well as we do, and this may well have been Finnan's last Premiership game for the club as moves have been afoot to offload him for some weeks. As for Kewell, that's another matter. I don't know what to make of Harry. He did some good things, and no doubt on the MOTD highlights he looked pretty good. If you saw the whole game though, you'll no doubt have a different opinion. In ninety minutes I think Kewell managed to go past Danny Mills once. It was so easy for Mills at times it was embarrassing. Kewell's form has been the subject of much discussion since the turn of the year, but it's not really getting much better. With Luis Garcia coming in, Kewell needs to get his finger out, and arguing with fans in the Paddock isn't doing him any favours either. I don't know what was shouted at Harry, but he responded to it and had a heated argument with the Paddock for about 30 seconds in the first half. I'm not going to condemn him without knowing a) what the fan yelled at him, and b) what he said in response, but it's the fans who pay his vastly overinflated wages, and that's something he would do well to remember. If you replace Kewell with Garcia, Finnan with Nunez and Hamann with Alonso, then providing those players settle in and prove their worth, we could be onto a winner, as the rest of the side all functioned very well today. Hamann's future is the subject of much conjecture, and Alonso's arrival suggests Didi's days are numbered. I don't think he's quite the player he was, and at times his lack of mobility can be a liability, but he's good to have around and I would be sad to see him go. He played well against City, and it was his excellent pass which released Baros in the build up to Gerrard's winner. With Joey Barton rumoured to be on the way this week, Didi may be joining Finnan through the exit door this week. If this game was to be his swansong then he's gone out on a high. David James showed the best and worst side of his game, and was typically erratic. He made great saves to keep out Baros, Cisse and Gerrard, but made total cock ups of three high crosses. He has not improved that side of his game since he was 20. Baros and Cisse worked tirelessly closing down the City defenders, with Baros in particular running himself into the ground. Milan worked both channels to great effect, whilst Cisse tended to stay more central to provide the team with a focal point. The balance looked good. City, and Richard Dunne in particular, just couldn't handle Milan. Twice in the first half Dunne crudely brought down the Czech, and while the first went unpunished, the second earned him a booking. Dunne had been walking a tightrope all game (does that expression have anyone else conjuring up a mental image of a cartoon circus elephant up on a highwire, or is it just me?), so it was no surprise when he received his walking papers for pulling back Cisse. Dunne was furious, but even though referee Poll didn't see it, his linesman did, and the correct decision was made. Dunne had to be dragged away from the official by Danny Mills, presumably because Mills wanted to have a go himself, as that's what he did. I was sat right in line with the incident, and had the same view as the linesman. "You saw that, I didn't touch him" said Dunne to the official. I saw it too, and you fucking did lardarse. Dunne should have been red carded just for his disgracefully fat appearance. A professional footballer shouldn't be allowed on the field if he's that size unless he possesses the talent of Jan Molby. Dunne most certainly does not. "He's here, he's there, he's every fucking where Richard Dunne" sang the City fans. Too true. Dunne can cover most of the field just by standing still. The City fans also sang "Robbie Fowler is a blue, he hates scousers" Not even going to dignify that with a comment. Benitez made his full compliment of substitutes, and all did well, especially Stephen Warnock who looked calm and assured when he replaced Finnan for his home debut. I'm so pleased for this lad as he's an excellent prospect who had been treated terribly under the previous regime, Right now he must be pushing Kewell for a starting place, and I'd expect him to play against Graz on Tuesday. Diao also did well at centre back after replacing the injured Josemi - who can also be pleased with his home debut. The final change was Igor for Kewell late on. He was only on the field a few minutes, but looked spritely and provided us with a typical 'Igor moment' when he burst through the centre and played a one two with Warnock before totally miskicking in front of the Kop. It seems that Benitez has realised that if Igor is going to have one of his 'moments' then it's better to have him doing it in the opposing area than his own. Biscan may be another in line for a start against Graz, and hopefully he'll show us a glimpse of that pre-season form which earned him so many rave reviews. Eeeeegggoooooor. So all in all it's been a good start to Benitez' reign. Four points from the opening two games, and both strikers have now got on the scoresheet this season, which was important following Owen's departure. The new arrivals should improve the side immeasurably, and with hungry young players waiting in the wings to fill in when necessary, things are looking better than they have for a long time. LFC: Dudek, Josemi (Diao), Hyypia, Carragher, Riise; Finnan (Warnock), Hamann, Gerrard, Kewell (Biscan); Cisse, Baros: Agree or disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

LIVERPOOL U18 0 Leeds U18 3 Report by Dave Usher at the Academy Scorer(s) - NoneHalf Time - 0-2 Venue - The Academy Date - Sat 4 Sep 2004 Star Man - Calum Woods The reds' nightmare start to the new Academy season continued, as they slumped to their third straight defeat and conceded three goals for the third game in succession. It could actually have been much worse, and on another day Leeds might easily have hit six or seven. After losing both of their opening fixtures by 3-1 scorelines, John Owens will surely have looked at this home fixture as a good opportunity to get the season back on track and put some points on the board. I didn't see either of the first two games, but they would have to have been pretty dreadful to be worse than this. It's hard to say what has gone wrong so far. There are a lot of talented players at Owens' disposal, but they are not playing as a team, and were poor at both ends of the field. It's perhaps understandable that the attacking side wasn't so good, as Owens was without both of his regular strikers through injury. Karl Noon and Conal Platt are a good pair, and both have already scored this season, so naturally they would be missed. In their absence, Owen turned to highly rated 16 year old James Frayne, and young triallist Robert Dalley. Of the two, Dalley was the more effective and the young Londoner is due to find out this weekend if he's to be kept on. He did his cause no harm today with a hard working display full of nice layoffs and good touches. He also came closest to scoring when he smashed a shot against the angle of post and bar in the second half, and can be pleased with his morning's work, especially given the lack of service the strikers received from the midfield. Leeds went ahead on 21 minutes after James Smith conceded a free kick on the edge of his own area. Gavin Rothery stepped up to curl the ball around the wall and past the despairing dive of Paul Lancaster. Three minutes later they doubled their lead when Jones crossed from the right and Kevin Smith stooped to head home from close range. Leeds were rampant, and the reds were in disarray at this stage. Going behind seemed to really rattle Liverpool, and they were hanging on amidst a real onslaught from the visitors. Lancaster had to spectacularly tip the ball over on 27 minutes after a volley from the impressive Justin Bowler, and a minute later Jones shot over when well placed. Liverpool were rocking, and it needed a great block from Calum Woods on the half hour to prevent them going three down, before Lancaster made another smart save three minutes later to deny Smith who had broken clear of the defence. The reds had been able to offer nothing in reply, and began arguing amongst themselves. Skipper O'Donnell was very vocal and tried to lift his team, but what was really needed was some instruction from the bench. Sadly John Owens did not leave his seat once during the first half, and didn't try to communicate any instructions to his team. I'm sure Owens is an excellent coach, but it was obvious that the players had totally lost their way, and at times like that surely the coach should be trying to get them going? Even the most senior professionals sometimes need their manager on the sidelines giving instructions, encouragement or bollockings, depending what the situation requires. With a team of inexperienced teenagers, I would have thought it would have been even more important. Dave Shannon and Hughie McAuley stand up for the entire ninety minutes and are constantly shouting instructions to their players, but clearly this isn't Owens' style. Maybe he feels it's more beneficial to the younger players to sort problems out for themselves, I don't know. But it was glaringly obvious that the reds had completely lost their way in this game and had no idea how to stem the flow of Leeds attacks, or how to create anything for themselves at the other end. The first chance they managed to carve out came in first half stoppage time, when Kelly was brought down on the edge of the box. He jumped up and took a quick free-kick which sent Dalley in on goal. After steadying himself, the triallist smashed a powerful shot against the angle of post and bar. The ball flew up in the air, and Frayne did ever so well to outjump defender and keeper to get a touch on it, but he couldn't get enough of a connection to put the ball over the line, and instead it bounced down just short of the goalline and up over the crossbar. Owens made a change at the break, bringing on u16 defender Robbie Threlfall for James Smith. Threlfall has played very well so far this season according to reports, and I was impressed with him today. He couldn't prevent Leeds extending their advantage just seven minutes into the second period though, as a cross from the right evaded Leeds frontman Smith as well as the covering reds defender, but fell kindly to Damien Reeves at the back post for an easy finish. Leeds continued to pile on the pressure, and twice hit shots into the side netting from good positions, as Liverpool continued to struggle. Owens made more changes, introducing Phil Townley and Paul Barrett - another triallist - for Danny Smith and Robert Dalley, and things improved slightly. Townley looked a threat, and it surely won't be long before he is starting regularly, as he offers far more of a threat than Wilkie. Wilkie has skill and good control, but never seems to be able to impose his talents on a game. He's frustrating because he is highly rated and clearly has ability, but you're always left wanting so much more from him. Townley on the other hand, is very direct and seems to make things happen. Barrett also made a good contribution when he came on, and did his chances of a permanent move no harm either. Wilkie was a bit unlucky not to score when he got on the end of a delicious right wing cross from Kelly, but the Scottish youth international's header was inadvertantly blocked by his team-mate Frayne. Then Townley charged through the Leeds backline and saw a shot well saved by the visiting keeper, but that was it as far as Liverpool attacks. Reeves looked set to add his second goal of the game with ten minutes to go, but was denied by good defending from Peltier and O'Donnell, who between them managed to get enough on his shot to deflect it wide. Overall, this was a very disappointing performance, and no-one stood out. Picking the star man was an almost impossible task. Dalley did well with limited service, whilst Guthrie and Kelly worked hard in midfield without managing to show much of their undoubted quality. I'm giving it to Calum Woods because he defended well, and made good use of the ball when he had it. He also kept the talented Bowler relatively quiet after the winger had made an impressive start. A big improvement is needed by all though if the reds are to start playing to their potential. Three defeats from three games and a goal difference of minus seven is simply not good enough. Team: Paul Lancaster; Calum Woods, James Smith (Robbie Threlfall), Danny O'Donnell, Danny Smith (Phil Townley); John-Paul Kelly, Danny Guthrie, Lee Peltier, Ryan Wilkie; James Frayne, Robert Dalley (Paul Barrett): For Exclusive photo's from this game, click here Agree or Disagree? Email me at dave@liverpoolway.co.uk

SCORER(S) - DJIBRIL CISSE HALF TIME - 0-1 VENUE - WHITE HART LANE DATE - SAT 14 AUG 2004 STAR MAN - JOSEMI Report by Jimmy Pilnick at White Hart Lane After a summer soap opera even Phil Redmond couldn't have written, it was back to football for Liverpool at a sun-baked White Hart Lane on Saturday, and on the face of it a draw wasn't a bad result against a team also out to impress a new boss, although admittedly they couldn't have impressed him too much in a first half where the Reds were well on top. Debutants Josemi and Djibril Cisse can be well pleased with their afternoon's work, the Spaniard for his solid-display at right-back, and Cisse for his debut goal which looks better and better every time you see it. Cisse also began to show glimpses of developing an understanding with Milan Baros, which will be vital as we get used to life without Michael Owen. Cisse's goal was no more than the Reds deserved after dominating a first half in which Jerzy hardly had a save to make. Harry Kewell, who showed glimpses of his menace down the left all afternoon, almost scored himself when his cross/shot was deflected just over by Naybet. From the resulting corner, which Spurs initially cleared, Finnan's excellent centre was cushioned into the path of Cisse by Jamie Carragher, and Djibril, who had earlier stung the palms of Paul Robinson with a long-range drive, displayed striking instincts at their best to steer the ball into the bottom corner. The travelling support, which was on good form all afternoon despite the ludicrous kick-off time, went bananas, although getting everyone to agree on a new chant for our record signing proved more difficult! An adaptation of "Cecelia," which went "Cisse, I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please to score goals" competed with the more simplistic "Allez Cisse," like the French sing "allez les bleus," although the chances of the former taking off are about as remote as Bill Kenwright waving a magic wand and 25 million quid appearing in his hat! Cisse's fellow-debutant also got himself a new song, although admittedly it was an adaptation of Arsenal's "Vieira" effort: "he came from Malaga, to play with Carragher, Josemi." The home fans 'response' was typical Premiership garbage. It took them about 15 minutes to sing "sign on," like I'm sure they were when Gerrard, Owen and Rooney were scoring for Burberryland in Euro 2004, while they came up with the oh-so-predictable "where's your Owen gone?" Had the travelling Kop taunted the home support about the number of players who'd left this 'big club' down the years we'd still be there now! Anyway, it was almost 2-0 shortly after when Gerrard's quite brilliant volley from outside the box went just over. Early glimpses suggest our skipper has well and truly found his shooting boots again this season, and it goes without saying that Stevie was the driving force behind everything the Reds did all afternoon. There was one particularly rash challenge in the first half could had landed him in trouble, although retribution came in the most unlikely form a few minutes later as Stevie was clattered by none other than Jamie Redknapp. Just when you thought nothing in football could shock you anymore! I had a quid on Cisse and 2-0 as well so it was happy days, and at half time The Reds looked odds on to take the three points. But football can turn on its head and Spurs, presumably with a bollcking with Santini still ringing in their ears, came out far more purposely after the break. That's not saying we didn't have our moments in the second half though, notably when Kewell's brilliant long-range drive, reminiscent of Gerrard's effort in the UEFA Cup semi against Barca, flashed agonisingly wide, while Robinson brilliantly turned over a header from Jamie Carragher. The sight of Carragher in the opposition box and Steph scoring in pre-season are surely positives that can already be drawn from Rafa's time in charge. Cisse was withdrawn on the hour for Pongolle, a sensible move designed to use Sinama's explosive pace as Spurs chased the game in the excruciating heat. Unfortunately, Spurs were level shortly after as Defoe, who'd blasted over from a similar position earlier in the half, turned in the box and hit a shot that beat Jerzy Dudek for sheer power at the near post. Maybe the marking could have been tighter, and I'm sure it's something Rafa will address at Melwood on Monday, but sometimes you have to credit he opposition, and it was a great finish by Defoe. The sight of Pongolle and Baros running to the referee encouraging him to book Defoe for taking his shirt off may not have been to some people's liking, but in the circumstances you could understand their frustration. Literally 60 seconds before the goal, Sinama had been booked for a nothing challenge on Erik Edman which wasn't even a foul, while earlier in the half Milan had been unceremoniously hacked down in an extremely promising position but there was no card for the culprit. Mr Gallagher's incompetence was also summed up by his earlier refusal to award the Reds a penalty despite Ifil tugging Stevie's shirt in the box, a decision that looked inexplicable from our vantage point 150 yards away and even more ridiculous on TV replays, while he somehow didn't book Defoe despite the striker slamming the ball into the ground in frustration after a decision hadn't gone his way. In truth, the Spurs goal came after a spell during which the Reds had been forced further and further back. Rafa later cited tiredness on what was a boiling hot day, and the withdrawal of Milan Baros, who by his standards didn't have a great afternoon, showed us El Boss was happy to leave London with a point. Carra's header almost snatched the three of course, but after the Owen saga, it was important we came away with a result and a decent performance. And the fact that our record signing broke his duck on his league debut is a kick in the teeth for the vultures who rub their hands at the imminent demise of LFC post-Michael Owen. Star man was Josemi. Solid, no-nonsense display at right back. No wonder the players have nicknamed him "El Carra!" Team: Dudek, Joesmi, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Finnan, Hamann (Biscan), Gerrard, Kewell; Baros (Warnock), Cisse (Pongolle).

Scorer(s) - Steven Gerrard (2) Half Time - 0-1 Venue - Arnold Swarzenegger Stadium DATE - Tue 10 Aug 2004 STAR MAN - Steven Gerrard Report by Steve Horton in Austria Rafael Bentiez's first competitive match in charge saw Liverpool put one foot in the group stages of the Champions League. But the straightforwardness of the win was offset by events off the pitch concerning the Michael Owen transfer saga. Our arrival in Graz was big news locally and in between drinking in the local bars I was interviewed by two radio stations and one television station, having to do an impromptu song for one of them. Local fans were very friendly and were in somewhat in awe of us, wondering just why so many would travel so far. Only between 30 and 50 fans are expected to be at Anfield for the return leg, and that was the estimate before the result was known. Despite the Graz media calling it an invasion, only about 500 Reds had made the trip, nearly half of which were on a Flight Options charter that was delayed when someone set off the smoke alarm trying to sneak a crafty ciggie in the bog. Lonsdales had done their usually overpriced one night package too so I was quite pleased to have arranged to go for two nights for about £240, flying from Birmingham to Salzburg. Graz play at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, which they share with arch rivals Sturm and was named after the town's most famous son. It's a neat little ground with lots of legroom and electronic turnstiles, but they still charged 30 cents to have a piss and no food was on sale inside the away section. The home fans have rarely known an occasion like this, with last season's title triumph being the first in their history. It meant they were certainly up for this one, their biggest European game since Paul Ince's Inter Milan were in town in 1996-7. A little flag was placed on every seat for fans to wave and the customary loud music was played at top volume. On occasions like this the only thing to do is shut the home fans up and we took the game to them early on. After Josemi was fouled in the second minute Steve Finnan's free kick was headed just over the bar by Sami Hyypia. We were awarded another free kick soon after this when Djibril Cisse was body checked but this one was wasted. Graz seemed incapable of creating anything themselves but they were awarded a glorious chance in the tenth minute when Harry Kewell committed a needless foul. Thankfully Jamie Carragher did well to clear the resultant free kick. Milan Baros had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the thirteenth minute when Steven Gerrard put him clear but the Czechs shot was weak and easily saved by the keeper. Baros was officially in the team as Benitez felt him and Cisse were the best strike partnership but we all know that's not true. With Owen's agents in discussions with Real Madrid, his frame of mind obviously wasn't right and to have cup tied him would have seriously reduced his transfer value. When Owen went through the motions of warming up in front of the Reds support he was given a great reception, just to emphasise that if there is any chance of him staying he is well wanted. Florent Sinama Pongolle was given a warm welcome too, with his refusal to consider a loan move meaning the Allez Allez chant will still be around for a while to come. When it came to backing the new boss however, some attempts to get "Y Viva Benitez" going failed and it looks like we are stuck with the tedious "Rafa-Rafael" chant to the tune of "super Danny Murphy". After 23 minutes we took the lead through another player who wanted to bail out, only to change his mind when he realised the consequences of greed. After some patient build up play Gerrard picked his spot and rifled in an unstoppable shot from thirty yards. It sent the Reds fans in the corner into rapture as the captain came running over to milk the applause. It will take a few more of them for me to sing his name again but he was well applauded by most of the fans. He still isn't being allowed to forget it that easily though as "Stevie Gerrard" was quickly followed by "you can stick yer fuckin Chelsea up yer arse". Graz caved in after this and they were lucky to go into the break just 1-0 down. Baros went close with a header and also crossed across the goal for Cisse, who just failed to get his foot to it. Hyypia also sent a header over the bar from a Kewell corner. The second half began as the first ended with Graz as good as accepting their fate. Their fans were furious at such cowardice afterwards, having been quite confident of getting a draw. Cisse showed his electric pace before forcing a good save from the keeper and even Hyypia was trying his luck, shooting just wide from distance. Gerrard had a goal disallowed but even then the home side couldn't capitalise, with their few efforts going well wide and being greeted with derision by the crowd. Dudek didn't have a shot to save till the closing minutes, by which time we were 2-0 up after Gerrard finished well in the 80th minute when he was set up by Cisse. We probably could have won by a few more if we had to, as we closed the game up towards the end by taking off Baros and sending on Salif Diao. Benitez was obviously under instructions from Rick Parry that we still need to sell as many tickets as possible for the second leg! It was also nice to see Darren Potter and Stephen Warnock get on and hopefully we may now see more of the youngsters get some experience in games that are wrapped up. All in all it was a good beginning for Benitez. There was a little concern towards the end that we eased up but it needs to be remembered it was our first competitive game of the season. The weather was warm and humid and there was no point over exerting the players at this stage. All we need to do now is sort out which players will be around for the competition proper. LFC: Dudek, Josemi, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise; Finnan (Potter), Hamman, Gerrard (Warnock), Kewell; Cisse, Baros (Diao): Agree or disagree? Email me at steve@liverpoolway.co.uk * Information set in table **Picture http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/1stte...rts05/graz1.jpg

GREGORY VIGNAL 2001-05 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 19/07/81 Nationality - French Position - Left Back Games - 20 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Cup 2001, FA Cup 2001, UEFA Cup 2001 Intnl Hons - French Youth/U21 Caps Other Clubs - Montpellier, Bastia (loan), Rennes (loan), Espanyol (loan), Rangers (loan), Portsmouth, Lens, Southampton (loan), Birmingham When Gerard Houllier signed French youngster Vignal, it was regarded something of a coup, as a whole host of Europe's top club's (including PSG and Inter Milan) were in the hunt for the talented teenager's signature. Houllier told Vignal on his arrival that he should not even think about making the first team for two years, but such was the young Frenchman's progress that he had established himself as a key squad member within a few months, and found himself on the substitutes bench for both the FA and UEFA Cup finals. He made his reserve team debut against Manchester United at Anfield, and for the first 20 minutes was given a bit of a chasing by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, but after that settled down and produced an impressive performance. His first involvement with the senior squad came as an unused substitute in the 2-1 reversal at White Hart Lane in Nov 2000, and his debut came in the FA Cup tie with Rotheram the following January, when he appeared as a sub for the last fifteen minutes on the left of midfield. His first start came against West Ham, and he produced an assured display that suggested big things were to come from him. Another good display followed the next week at Sunderland, and although Jamie Carragher returned to the side for the next game, Gregory had arrived. The following season saw Greg experience mixed fortunes. Having forced his way into the side and forged an impressive partnership down the left flank with John Arne Riise, he suffered a broken foot in the shock Worthington Cup defeat to Grimsby. It was wrongly diagnosed initially, and that cost him five months on the sidelines. He was unable to force his way back into the side after that, and with Djimi Traore returning from a loan spell at Lens to move ahead of him in the left back pecking order, Vignal returned to his homeland on loan to Bastia. He returned the following summer and played in the pre-season fixtures, before again being sent out on loan to a French club, this time to Rennes, only to fall out with the coach there and return to Melwood. His return was short lived however, and after just one behind closed doors friendly for the reds, he was swiftly sent back out on loan to Spanish side Espanol. Even a change in management didn't help Vignal, as Rafa Benitez wasted no time in sending him away on another loan deal, this time to Glasgow Rangers. He failed to agree a permanent deal with the Scottish side however, and at the start of the 2005/06 season he signed for Portsmouth before going on to have spells at Lens, Kaiserslauten, Southampton, Birmingham City, Atromitos and finally Dundee United, for whom he failed to make a single appearance before being released.

SCORER(S) - ANTHONY LE TALLEC (2) HALF TIME - 0-1 VENUE - RACECOURSE GROUND DATE - WED 21 JUL 2004 STAR MAN - ANTHONY LE TALLEC Report by Steve Horton at The Racecourse Ground The Rafael Benitez era got off to a winning start at the Racecourse last Wednesday night. A blend of youth and experience gave us a sound win, with one of the positive legacies of the Houllier years being a shining light. Although none of the stars from Euro 2004 were ever going to be involved, interest in this game was huge. Rafa's first game and Cisse's debut was always going to be a big draw and there is the added fact that it's the only pre season game this side of the Atlantic. Hence there was a capacity crowd of 14,978 at the racecourse, with the 3000 Reds tickets being sold out within a couple of days. Cisse was the main attraction and with his bleached hair and beard he was quite easy to spot. His first contribution came on two minutes when he crossed into the box but it was easily headed clear. His only shot on goal was a low drive that Dibble did well to save and he also showed his spectacular side with a great overhead kick from a tight angle. Overall a well drilled offside trap limited Cisse's effectiveness, as did the fact we were playing a short passing game. His pace is his main asset and he really needs the ball played long and over the top. I don't want to sound negative but he'd have been a perfect Houllier signing, but now some work will need will need to be done by both sides. However any player worth £14 million should be able to adapt and a coach as good as Benitez will get the best out of him. I suspect he may not make as immediate an impact as many hope however. Despite it being a friendly both sides were well up for it with plenty of tackles flying in. Both Kewell and Cisse needed treatment but thankfully there was no long term damage. The home crowd were very muted though, probably because it was five times their normal turn out and none of them new how to get behind their team. We had been controlling the game but Wrexham came out of their shell after 20 minutes and forced a couple of corners before some lack of communication in our defence allowed Hector Sam to fire them ahead. Wrexham's lead was short lived and we were level just 4 minutes later. A great run by Igor Biscan was followed by a hard and low shot that Dibble could only parry, leaving Le Tallec with a simple tap in. It had been great work by the much vilified Igor, who now looks set to be used in his favoured central midfield position, although there's quite a bit of competition there. Half time saw 10 substitutions being made, with only Le Tallec staying on. Presumably he would have been taken off too had Neil Mellor not been declared injured on the day of the game. It was a very youthful second half line up, with a number of players being used that Houllier probably wouldn't have recognised. Five of the players who came on have never appeared in a competitive Reds fixture but you'd never have guessed it, with Stephen Warnock playing particularly well. With Wrexham defending the goal behind which our fans were seated, it was time for some of the trainee scumbags to move into action. Whenever we got a corner Alex Ferguson's son Darren was defending one of the goalposts, which led to a number of Munich and Shipman chants. Once again the actions of a minority are shaming us all as the links and excuses to sing them become even more tenuous. The local police had kept a high profile presence, some trouble apparently having occurred when Everton were in town last year. On the whole things passed off without incident but there was one small event in Wetherspoons that made me unsure whether to be ashamed or embarrassed. About 20 teenage Lacosted up lads came in and sang 'Shit on the Taffys' before marching en masse into the kitchen area, cheering, then leaving. They've probably gone and told all their mates how they had 'taken' a home pub, but words fail me. If you are going to be a hooligan crew, at least take a proper pub, not Wetherspoons for fucks sake. I'd like to have seen them try the same trick in The Turf next to the Racecourse Kop. Going back to the game though and the star of the second half had to be Florent Sinama Pongolle. The young Frenchman vanished off the scene last season as soon as he robbed the Allez Allez chant. But he was eager and hungry and tore the Wrexham defence to shreds, showing a great understanding with his compatriot and ex Le Havre team mate Le Tallec. The half was just 3 minutes old when Dibble saved with his legs when Pongolle was clean through and he also went close on 2 other occasions. On one of these he fired over from a half chance on the edge of the six yard box. But to judge from his reaction you'd think he’d missed an open goal in the cup final, such was his desire to find the net. Benitez has spoke of him as one of 4 strikers, so it looks like he'll be involved a lot in 2004-5 and deservedly so. Despite having missed out earlier, Pongolle showed his unselfish nature on 78 minutes when he shook off a defender to make space but rather than shoot himself, he passed to the better placed Le Tallec. He had the simple task of rolling the ball into the net to give us the lead our domination and possession had merited. This was Wrexham's 3rd game in 4 days and it showed, they just had no answer to our swift movement. For most of the last 10 minutes Rafa's name was sung by the away end, but he stuck to the task of getting instructions to the players and didn't respond till the end. Sadly the chant was the unoriginal "Benitez, Benitez" or "Rafael Benitez" to the tune of "super Danny Murphy". Surely something more interesting can be made up than this. On the whole it was a useful exercise and a good workout. We'll face tougher opposition than Wrexham but then again we'll have better players available than we had on the night. However the message is clearly there that if you are good enough you will get a chance and as the treatment of Diouf has showed, the size of transfer fees counts for nothing. Most importantly the team played for each other and the football was attractive, with Benitez still urging them forward for a 3rd in injury time. On this performance going to Anfield won't be so much of a chore this coming season. Team: Kirkland (Dudek), Finnan (Otsemobor), Hyypia (Whitbread), Medjani (Raven), Traore (Riise); Murphy (Foy), Biscan (Potter), Welsh (Diao), Kewell (Warnock); Le Tallec, Cisse (Pongolle): Agree or disagree? Email me at steve@liverpoolway.co.uk ** Picture http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/1stte...s05/wrexham.jpg

STEPHANE HENCHOZ 1999-2005 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 07/09/74 Nationality - Swiss Position - Defence Cost - £3.5m Games - 205 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - League Cup 2001,2003, UEFA Cup 2001, FA Cup 2001, European Super Cup 2001 Intnl Hons - 72 Swiss Caps Other Clubs - Stade Payerne, Bulle, Neuchatel Xamax, Hamburg, Blackburn (twice), Celtic, Wigan A few eyebrows were raised when Stephane was signed from the newly relegated Blackburn Rovers for £3.75m in the summer of 1999, but Gerard Houllier knew what he was doing and it proved to be a very shrewd investment. Injury meant that the Swiss stopper missed the start of the 99/00 season, and it wasn't until October that he made his debut, at Aston Villa. The reds kept a clean sheet that day despite going down to ten men, and from then on the defence proved to be the meanest in the country. Henchoz struck up an instant understanding with fellow newcomer Sami Hyypia, and the due were the rock on which the treble success of 2001 was built. Good in the air with a fair turn of pace, Henchoz's best asset was his reading of the game and strong tackling. Stephane's red cheeked, contorted-face style of defending gave a strangely re-assuring presence to the side, and we didn't look the same side without him. Injuries meant he missed a large chunk of the 2002/03 campaign, and the following year Gerard Houllier preferred Igor Biscan to Henchoz for long spells, prompting the Swiss star to speak out against his manager. Usually such actions have dire consequences, but Houllier couldn't leave Henchoz out even had he wished too as Biscan's fragile confidence was shot to pieces after conceding a penalty and collecting a red card during the UEFA cup defeat in Marseille. So Henchoz regained his place in the side alongside Hyypia, and the defence stopped leaking as many soft goals. The pair's performance during a 1-0 win at Old Trafford brought back memories of the treble season, but the arrival of Rafa Benitez spelled the end for Henchoz who moved on to join Blackburn Rovers after failing to force his way into the new manager's plans.

JON OTSEMOBOR 2002-05 by Dave Usher Date of Birth - 23/03/83 Nationality - English Position - Defender Games - 6 Goals - 0 Club Hons (Lpool) - None Club Hons (other - None Intnl Hons - England u20 Other Clubs - Hull (loan), Bolton (loan), Crewe A former England youth international and captain of the reds u19 side, 'Semmy' was an outstanding prospect who made a big impression with the fans during a five game stint in the first team in the 2003/04 season. The club had always had high hopes for Otsemobor, who was converted from centre back to right back with great success. He was a fixture in the reserve side from 2000/01, and made his first team debut in a Worthington Cup game with Southampton in November 2002. He played well that night, but had to wait another 13 months before his next appearance, again in the League Cup, this time against Bolton. In between that he had a loan spell at third division Hull City, where he managed to score three goals in the month he was there. Bizarre, as he was hardly known for his goalscoring at Liverpool, even at junior levels. Jon's pace and willingness to go forward made him Liverpool's best player on a disappointing night against Bolton, and he kept his place for the game away at Newcastle the following weekend. Faced with the tricky Laurent Robert, the youngster had another assured game, before turning in two more excellent performances in the league games with Southampton and Bolton at Anfield. One length of the field run and shot against the Saints brought the whole of Anfield to its feet, and it looked as though the Academy had unearthed another gem to go alongside Carragher, Owen and Gerrard. But twenty minutes into the reds next game away at Man City and Otsemobor was substituted, replaced by Igor Biscan because the manager felt he 'wasn't contributing enough offensively'. It was his last involvement with the first team that season, and supporters were baffled. He then joined Bolton on loan, but made only one appearance before cutting short the arrangement and returning to Liverpool, where he played out the rest of the season in the reserves. The arrival of Josemi in the summer of 2004, combined with the return to form of Steve Finnan meant that 'Semmy' slipped down the pecking order. He joined Crewe on a three month loan deal and did so well that the Gresty Road club were keen to make the deal permanent. Jon didn't want to give up on his Anfield dream without a fight though, and turned down the move in favour of a return to Anfield. He was unable to make any headway however, and when his Anfield contract expired, he returned to Gresty Road on a permanent contract.